Analysis of female characters in literature
Literature is a medium through which the actions and the behaviors of the society are highlighted. Ancient literature focuses on various issues affecting society including politics, leadership and the portrayal of women and men among many other themes. This paper focuses on portrayals of females and sex in various ancient literature works including Chaucer’s “the wife Bath’s prologue and tale, in Canterbury tales”, Metamorphosis, Shakespeare’s Othello, Eve in Genesis and Euripede’s Medea.
In Medea, the portrayal of women manifests itself through the role they play or that which society has imposed on them. They have limited social and political power. During this time, women’s domestic and maternal power was respected at home as captured in the statement “our lives depend on how his lordship feels.” They therefore had a responsibility to be dutiful wives and to serve their husbands. This portrayal also suggests that women were to be submissive in sexual matters and at the same time were required to appease their husbands. Furthermore, society expects women to preserve their virginity. This is something that comes out clearly in the play, as the author does not portray them as virgin heroines. He paints a picture of women who suffer and through the sufferings; they harden and begin to demand their rights.
Women are also considered as people who are emotional and at the same time loving but quick at making decisions. Medea showed love to her husband, Jason who seems not to care about her. This angers her making and in the process she becomes emotional making Medea to revenge. She slays her children and kills Jason for betrayal and as revenge. This episode portrays women as people that are emotional and quick at revenging. Intellectual women are further portrayed as being proud and always ready to defend this. Medea presents this as she refuses to be convinced by her husband making her to revenge. Through this scene, Euripides’ literature presents women and sex in different way. Women are loving, intellectual, tenacious, and vengeful and required to be in charge of the home as they take good care of their husbands.
The bible in the book of Genesis provides or symbolizes a woman as a helper to a man and at the same time she is depicted as the cause that led to falling of man from God’s favor. The way a woman is portrayed is that she is a weak sex and therefore, subordinate to a man. Because of this, she must respect and submit to a man. The story also presents a woman as a person easily swayed or convinced. She is easily lured into committing sin as portrayed when she eats the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden despite being warned by God. As a result, she forgets about her responsibility and in the end brings suffering to man. Furthermore, the roles of a man and a woman are defined in the book. After committing the sin, God assigns roles as a punishment. Women role is to carry pregnancy for nine month and endure pain during child birth.
Likewise, in Othello, women are portrayed as the subject of men oppression. In the play, female are viewed as people that have low intellect while men hold power. Nevertheless, they are portrayed as people that are mature and therefore they speak sense. They are also trustful members of the society. During this period, women were required to respect their men. The play also illustrates how sexual relationships provoke jealousy among males even causing a tragic ending. Male are driven to the point of murder because of jealousy. Othello murder his wife Desdemona because of false rumor. He also kills himself. This therefore, indicates how matters of sexuality are pertinent in the society.
In Othello, it is expected that women behave in a certain way. They are required to remain faithful, pure and loving. Before Desdemona met Othello, she was strong willed explorative equal to Othello as she related to him as peer. But after they are married, she become more of an object to engage in sex and procreate, “…Motherhood is dangerous because it affirms a situation in which females must be only women and mothers; it denies the possibility of women developing personal creativity and creating a world that would be open and free for them” (Allen 315). She changes her behavior to that of a model of purity making Othello to believe that she is capable of being a polar opposite (cheating on him) and this result in lack of trust. We also witness bestiality from Othello as he commits suicide after killing his wife. Therefore, Shakespeare constructs woman as caring, nurturing, and selfless, they are also viewed by the society as providers of love and care and they always puts their partner’s needs before their own. Women change to something that they believe their husbands want to be but this is misinterpreted by men who views women as easily sleeping into the role of the opposite.
Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka is yet another ancient literary work that portrays men and women in the society differently. Through the work, society assigns roles to both genders. Male are viewed to have powers and authority. They are brave. Women on the other hand are portrayed as weak. The inability of men to approach their female counterparts leads them to use their strength and physique to abuse women. For instance, Io is raped by Jove. This portrays women as victims and people that are vulnerable. Circumstances in which women find themselves compel them to become weak characters. For instance, Jove turns Io into young cow to cover himself from his deeds. This situation deters Io to testify what he went through leaving her helpless. This shows how the female gender is manipulated and treated as beasts.
Chaucer’s, “The Wife of Bath’s Prologue and Tale.” in Canterbury tales shows the power of women through the destruction of a knight’s honor (Chaucer 34). In this prologue, women are depicted as a having their own mind and how they always speaks their own mind. She intimidates both men and women because of her strength even though she is ugly and toothless. She has also had many husbands about five and involved in countless affairs that has left many men heartbroken. This tale portrays women as being untrustworthy and disrespectful.
In conclusion, it is evident that various authors in their ancient literary works portray women and sex differently. Most of the literary works seem to portray women as loving, trustworthy, caring and home cares. Others have portrayed women as possessors of intellect, proud, emotional, revengeful and untrustworthy. Based on these portrayals, it can be argued that, depending on the situations and circumstances of the authors. The roles of women and their portrayals are subject to personal opinions and therefore, we cannot discount the arguments brought on board by different authors of different literary works.
Works cited
Allen, Jeffner. “Motherhood: The Annihilation of Women.” Trebilot. (1984). Print
Chaucer, Geoffrey. The Canterbury Tales. Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces. Ed Mack, Maynard et al. W. W. Norton and Co. New York, NY. (1992). Print.
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